Tennis & Beauty Lessons With Ana Ivanovic

As far as our normal photo shoots go, they don’t usually involve sports. Unless you count lugging 16 bags full of Louboutins around a sport (which some actually might). But when you get a call to play tennis at the Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club with the number-25-ranked player in the world (!!), you pick up your hypothetical racket and go. Luckily, we also got outfitted in the coolest Adidas tennis gear ever so we could make our debut on the court next to Ana lvanovic in style. Turns out she did too, so we basically got to play twins while we chatted about training for the US Open (which begins today!) and practiced our backhands—multitasking at its finest. Post-match (we like to think we gave lvanovic a run for her money, but let’s be real—it’s insane to even watch her “go easy” on you while serving) we sat down to discuss what we actually know best, her skincare routine. Hint: it includes lots of SPF, and nobody quite knows that whole sunscreen sweating into your eyes thing better than tennis players (which is where Shiseido’s new WetForce technology comes into play). Let’s just say our lesson with lvanovic may just go down in Cov history as the most athletic shoot ever.

“My training routine depends which part of the season I’m in. The US Open is obviously a big one, so I try to peak my performance and form for this one. I do a lot of work leading up to it, and the last few days are about easing off, trying to get fresh and recover. I train so intensely, so I also need to take care of my body. The US Open is great—it’s the last Grand Slam of the year, so it’s exciting. It’s the biggest event we have in tennis, so I’m excited for it to start!”

How she keeps her skin protected (despite playing in the sun all day long):

“I apply Shiseido WetForce in the morning. It was amazing to find this product because, as a tennis player, I play in the sun all year round and I never felt like my skin was protected. All the other sunscreen products are too heavy and run into my eyes and onto my hands when I’m holding my racket. With this, it’s perfect because it actually works better when you sweat because of the innovative technology. It absorbs better so it doesn’t run into my eyes, and it’s very, very light.

“For my face, I use the WetForce for Sensitive Skin and Children. I apply it every morning and then, depending on my match, I reapply. Other than that, I keep my routine very simple: I use face wash and then apply Ultimune from Shiseido (I really like the lightness of it). In the evening, I use a little bit more serum.”

“When I’m waiting for my match to begin, I like to listen to music in my locker room; I’m really into Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande. Then I’ll talk to my coach about the game plan, go through my routine and get ready to walk onto the court. I’ll do a little bit of visualization before I go on and then begin warming up.

“My post-match routine depends! If I win, I’m so happy and everything is fine. If not, then it’s a bit more difficult. After a match, I need to do a cool down, so that usually involves about five to 10 minutes on the bike and some stretching. If I don’t have a match the next day, I’ll do a really light fitness routine for 15 to 20 minutes to keep my muscles toned because during the match I empty a lot of strength from my muscles. And then an ice bath for recovery, which is a really great way to freshen up. You get used to the cold—you have to just go for it! Luckily, I don’t go full-body, just up to my waist. I like to take my phone with me to keep my mind occupied—I just hope it doesn’t fall in.”

“When I’m in New York City, I like to eat at Bagatelle, Standard Grill, and Nobu is always a good one. I want to try Morimoto. I love SoHo and Greenwich Village. I cook a little bit, but the thing is that I’m always on the road and in hotels, so it’s very hard. For me, it’s not a problem to cook, but it’s about getting the groceries home and everything.”